Where: Sheringham, Norfolk
£: Free
What is it?
This weekend, Potty Morris & Folk Festival will celebrate its 25th year with a special World Record attempt for the largest Morris dance.
The festival, which takes place on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July, will see Morris sides from Norfolk and the surrounding counties, gather for the event.
The record for the largest Morris dance currently stands at 144 dancers, dancing a border dance called Tinners Rabbit. This latest attempt will be using the same dance. The unusual name of the dance refers to the three hares symbol from the west country. Originating in Devon, the dance is now widely performed throughout the UK and is a dance for sets of three, facing inwards in a triangle.
The festival itself will begin on the Saturday with a Morris procession through town at 10am, led by Sheringham town cryer Andrew Cunningham-Brown. After the procession the World Record attempt will take place along the High Street. The rest of the day will see dancing taking place around the town, before an evening of music and song takes place at the Robin Hood pub.
On the Sunday, there will be Morris dancing from the town clock to the seafront during the morning. In the afternoon the dancing will continue at the Lifeboat Plain performance arena, and from 2pm a Song and Tune Session will take place in The Lobster garden.
The Potty Festival was originally started by The Lobster Potties Morris dancers in 1993, by Reg Grimes, the then Squire (Chairman), Clive Rayment Foreman (Dance teacher) and Penny Shepherd Bagman (Treasurer), as a way of saying thank you to the sides that had invited the Potties to visit them.
The festival grows from strength to strength, now having more than 40 Morris sides taking part every year.
Unfortunately, The Lobster Potties no longer have a Morris side, but during the festival this year, The Mo museum will be exhibiting some photographs and costumes of The Lobster Potties as part of the 25th birthday celebrations.
More info: pottyfestival.com